The work at West East Somatics is evolution of more than 30 years of research and practice by Bradford C. Bennett, PhD.

Bradford C. Bennett, Phd

Dr. Bennett’s formal somatic education began in 1985 when he began studying Tai Chi with Hubert H. Lui. For the next ten years Mr. Lui helped Dr. Bennett become both more relaxed and more biomechanically sound in movement. Shortly after beginning Tai Chi Dr. Bennett injured his left knee playing basketball and explored the methods of Moshe Feldenkrais and Milton Trager to aid in his healing. By 1987 he had become a Certified Trager Practitioner. He continued to explore methodologies to improve neuromuscular control and studied with several teachers including; Yochanon Rywerant, Ruthy Alon, Llana Rubenfeld, Charlotte Selver, Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, Dean Juhan, Gaby Yaron, and Giora Pinkas. As his knee continued to bother him a Feldenkrais teacher referred him to Thomas Hanna. One session with Dr. Hanna convinced Dr. Bennett that Dr. Hanna was doing something quite unique and in 1990 he participated in Dr. Hanna’s first and only training in what he called Hanna Somatic Education. Dr. Bennett later became a Charter Member of the Association for Hanna Somatic Education®.

During these studies Dr. Bennett continued studying with H. H. Lui, combining his insights from the Western “somatic education” with his Tai Chi practice. In 1990, Dr. Bennett began teaching Tai Chi Chuan.

In 1993 Dr. Bennett left his position at as a Senior Research Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center to focus on somatic education. He was soon recruited to teach at Sonoma State University and then San Francisco State University in the Dept. of Kinesiology.

Dr. Bennett continues to teach Tai Chi and somatic education classes and workshops as well as seeing students one-on-one who have discomfort and movement limitations.

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